Browns GM Andrew Berry informed reporters today that QB Deshaun Watson had a setback in his rehab from a torn Achilles, per Scott Petrak.
Berry said he didn’t have all the details but could say that the setback would extend Watson’s recovery process past the initial timetable.
He added he just learned of the news in the past 24 hours during Watson’s exit physical. Berry noted it’s too early to say if Watson will be able to play in 2025, or if another surgery is needed.
Watson suffered the injury in November and the standard recovery timeline for a torn Achilles is six months, though it can take athletes longer to feel like themselves again. He’s been rehabbing in Miami the past couple of months.
Cleveland reworked Watson’s deal last month in preparation for him to be on the roster in 2025 due to his fully guaranteed contract but his path back to the field remains cloudy.
Watson, 29, was taken in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Clemson by the Texans. He signed a four-year, $13.854 million rookie deal with the Texans that included a fifth-year option of around $17.3 million for the 2021 season.
The Texans later signed Watson to a four-year extension worth as much as $177 million heading into the 2020 season, paying him $39 million a year. However, Watson requested a trade after the season, then sat out the entire 2021 season while navigating more than two dozen lawsuits for sexual misconduct. He was later suspended for 11 games.
Watson was traded to the Browns for significant draft compensation in 2022 and signed a five-year, $230 million, fully guaranteed contract as a part of the trade. The deal runs through 2026 and includes base salaries of $46 million in each of the final two seasons.
In 2024, Watson appeared in seven games for the Browns and completed 63.4 percent of his pass attempts for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions. He added 31 carries for 148 yards and another score.
We’ll have more on the Browns and Watson as the news is available.
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